Herakles
Herakles is the proper spelling for the Greek God Herakles. The reason for the two spellings is that the Ancient Greeks did not have the letter C so for any word. The equivalent in most cases the letter K (kappa). Eventually this would change but some of the Ancient Greek fundamentalists spell it with a K. For those who are looking for the other Greek spelling go to Heracles Mythology Childhood Herakles who was born Alkaeus was not a normal child, even as a baby. One day, he and his brother, Iphicles were put to sleep, Hera sent two poisonous snakes to kill Herakles (though there is a less accepted theory that his step-father Amphitryon sent them in order to find out which if either was his son). That evening the snakes came into the room where Iphicles & Herakles slept. Alcmene was awakened by screams from the children's the room. Alcmene woke Amphitryon who promptly grabbed his sword and shield. Amphitryon and Alkemene rushed in and found Iphicles cowering in the corner crying while Herakles was gleefully shaking the dead the limp dead bodies of the snakes which Herakles had managed to strangle to death in the time that it had taken Amphitryon to grab a sword & shield and rush to the nursery. Adolescence The Daughters of Thespius Adulthood First Marriage Since birth, Heracles was hunted by Hera's fury. Her revenge came to a climax after Heracles' marriage. One day, Hera made Heracles go into a blind frenzy, inflicting chaos on all those around him. But those people were his wife and children. After recovering from the rage, he was shocked to find his family dead at his feet. The people around could not bear the knowledge of Heracles act and told him. Crying for his loved ones, and calling himself a murderer, Theseus, king of Athens, came forth from the crowd, offered the demigod his hand and told to come with him to Athens. At first, Heracles refused to touch the hand, since according to the Greek belief, a man who touches the blood of a murdered one is also responsible for the act. After Theseus insisted, Heracles agreed. At Athens, Heracles sought out the oracle, which told Heracles that if he wishes to be pure again, he must punish himself. Heracles e, and turned to his uncle, Eourystheus, who was a cruel, insidious man. Eurystheus took the offer and gave Heracles what was later known as the Twelve Labors of Herakles. Time In Lydia At some point, following his twelve labors Herakles inadvertently killed Iphitus. As was his habit Herakles blamed himself more than others blamed him. The pennance was that Herakles, was, by the command of the Delphic Oracle Xenoclea, to be sold as a slave to Omphale for the period of a year. The compensation was to be paid to Eurytus (who refused to accept it). During that year, Omphale forced the great hero to dress as a woman (while she herself would wear his Nemean Lion pelt and carry his Olive Wood Club) and perform tasks that were generally viewed as those reserved for women such as weaving at a loom. Despite the fact that she humiliated him, she also forced him to be her lover and according to some versions she forced his to marry her. During his time at Lydia which may have extended beyond the year of forced servitude, Herakles would become the father by Omphale of Agelaus, Maleus & Tyrsenus as well as Akelus by Malis (one of the queen's slave girls) as well as Kleodaees with an unnamed slave girl of Queen Omphale. It is however likely that this was not a real marriage and he was simply her lover for a period of time since he left Lydia while she was still around. It is however worth mentioning especially since his time dressed in women's clothing doing tasks meant for women is a well known part of his life. Second Marriage Heracles was married to Deianeira. Long after their marriage, one day the centaur Nessus offered to ferry them across a wide river that they had to cross. Nessus set off with Deianeira first, but tried to abduct her. When Heracles realized the centaur's real intention, Heracles chased after him and shot him with an arrow which was poisoned with Hydra's blood. Before he died, Nessus told Deianeira to take some of his blood and semen and treasured it, since it was a very powerful medicine and: if she ever thought Heracles was being unfaithful, the centaur told her, the mixture would prevent him from betraying him. Deianeira kept the vial of blood and semen. Gigantomachia One of his last great adventures was his part in the war between the gods and Giants who were the children of Gaia and Tartaros. Many of these giants were created to oppose a specific god, some however were just there to help try and overthrow the Olympians in genreral. None of the giants (with the exception of Alkyones) could be killed be killed by a god alone and most required the combined efforts of a god and a mortal hero (the Gigante Leon who Herakles faced in singles combat was a rare exception). Since the gods could not kill the Gigantes without the help of a mortal hero, Herakles was recruited for the job, For more on this see Many years after that incident she heard rumors that Heracles had fallen in love with another woman. She smeared some of the mixture on a robe and sent it to Heracles by a servant named Leechas. When doing so, some of the mixture was spilled on the floor and when the sun rays fell on it, it begun to burn. Because of this Deianeira begun to suspect Nessus's advice and decided to send another servant to fetch Leechas back before he could hand over the soaked robe to Heracles. She was too late. Heracles has already put on the robe and when he did so the blood still poisoned from the same arrow used by Hercules, burnt into his flesh. When he jumped into a nearby river in hope of extinguishing the fire, it only made it worse. When he tried to rip off the robe from his body his organs were also ripped off with it. Furiously, Heracles caught Leechas and tossed him into the sea. After that he told his friend Philoctetis to build him a pyre on the mountain Oata. He was burnt to death on the pyre. Before dying, Heracles offered his bow and arrows as a token of gratitude to Philoctetis. His father Zeus then turned him into a god. Deianeira, after hearing what she had caused, committed suicide. After his death, Heracles was brought to Mt. Olympus and made a god (God of Physical Strength). At this point Hera finally overcame her jealousy and offered Heracles her daughter Hebe's hand in marriage. Relatives Parents *Alkmene (mother) & Zeus (father) Amphitryon (step-father) Children *Akelus (by Malis, a slave of Queen Omphale) *Aekhmagoras (by Philo daughter of Alkimedon) *Agamedas (with an unknown woman) *Agathyrsus (by the monster Ekhidna) *Agelaus (by Queen Omphale the Queen of Lydia) *Agylleus (with an unknown consort) *Alexiares (by Hebe with Herakles' third wife Hebe goddess of youth) *Alopius (with Antiope a daughter of King Thespius) *Amathes (with unknown woman who is also the mother of Boeus of Bretius and Brettus) *Amathous (with an unknown consort) *Amnestrius (with Eone a daughter of King Thespius) *Aniketos (with Herakles' third wife Hebe goddess of youth) *Antiades (with Aglaia a daughter of King Thespius) *Antileon (with Prokris a daughter of King Thespius) *Antimakhus (with Nikippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Antiokhus (with Anthaeia daughter of King Thespius) *Antiokhus (with Meda daughter of King Phylas) *Antiphus (with Laothoe a daughter of King Thespius) *Arkhedikus (with Eurypyle a daughter of King Thespius) *Arkhimakhus (with Patro a daughter of King Thespius *Astromus (with Stratonike a daughter of King Thespius) *Astyanax (with Epilais a daughter of King Thespius) *Astymes (with Kalametis a daughter of King Thespius) *Aventinus (with Rhea, an Italian priestess) *Azon (with an unknown consort) *Barge (with Bargases) *Bokolus (with Marse a daughter of King Thespius) *Boeus (with unknown woman who is also the mother of Bretius, Brettus and Amathes) *Bretius (with unknown woman, who is also the mother of Brettus, Boeus and Amathes) *Brettus (with unknown woman, who is also the mother of Bretius, Boeus and Amathes) *Buleus (with Elakhia a daughter of King Thespius) *Celtus (with Celtine daughter of Bretannus king of the Celts) *Deikoon (with Herakles' first wife Megara a daughter of King Kreon of Thebes) *Dexamenus (with an unknown consort) *Dynastes (with Erato a daughter of King Thespius) *Ekhephron (with Psophis a daughter of Xanthus or Eryx) *Entelades (with Menippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Erasippus (with Lysippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Eratus (with Dynaste) *Eukleia-(with Myrto daughter of Menoeteus) *Eumedes (with Lyse a daughter of King Thespius) *Eurykapys (with Klytippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Euryopes (with Terpsikrate a daughter of King Thespius) *Eurypyles (with Eubote a daughter of King Thespius) *Eurythrus (with Exole a daughter of King Thespius) *Everus (with Parthenope daughter of Stymphalus) *Glenos (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) *Gelon (with Khania, a nymph) *Gelonus (with The monster Ekhidna) *Halokrates (with Olympusa a daughter of King Thespius) *Hippeus (with Prokris a daughter of King Thespius) *Hippodamus (with Anthippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Hippozygus (with Hippokrate a daughter of King Thespius) *Homolippus (with Xanthis a daughter of King Thespius) *Hyllus (with with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) *Hyllus (with a naiad Melite) *Iobes (with Kerthe a daughter of King Thespius) *Kadmillus (with a nymph named Kabeira) *Kapylus (with Hippo a daughter of King Thespius) *Keleustinor (with Iphis a daughter of King Thespius) *Khromis (with an unknown consort) *Kleolaus (with Argele a daughter of King Thespius) *Kleodaees (with one of Queen Omphale's slave girls) *Kreon (with One of the daughters of King Thespius possibly Argele) *Kreontiades (with Herakles' first wife Megara a daughter of King Kreon of Thebes) *Ktesippus (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Calydon) *Ktesippus (with Astydameia, daughter of Ormenius) *Kyrnus (with an unknown consort) *Kings of India (with Pandela and Indian Princess) *Laomedon (with Meline a daughter of King Thespius) *Laomenes (with Oreia a daughter of King Thespius) *Latinus (with Palantho of Hyperborea) *Leukippus (with Eurytelle a daughter of King Thespius) *Leukites (with an unknown consort) *Leukoneus (with Aeskhreis a daughter of King Thespius) *Lykurgus (with Toxikrace a daughter of King Thespius) *Lynkaeus (with Tiphyse a daughter of King Thespius) *Makaria (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Calydon) - Makareia was Herakles' only mortal daughter *Maleus (with Queen Omphale Queen of Lydia) *Manto (with an unknown consort) *Mentor (with Asopis a daughter of King Thespius) *Nephus (with Praxitheia a daughter of King Thespius) *Nikodromus (with Nike a daughter of King Thespius) *Oneites (with Herakles' second wife Deianeira daughter of King Oeneus of Kalydon) *Oenesippus (with Khryseis a daughter of King Thespius) *Oestrobleus (with Hesikhaeia a daughter of King Thespius) *Olynthus (with Bolbe) *Olympus (with Euboea a daughter of King Thespius) *Palaemon (with Iphinoe daughter of Antaeus) *Pallas (with Dyna) *Pallas (with Lavinia, daughter of Evander) *Pandaie (with an unknown consort) *Patroklus (with Pyrippe a daughter of King Thespius) *Phalius (with Helikones a daughter of King Thespius) *Polylaus (with Eurybia a daughter of King Thespius) *Promakhus (with Prophis a daughter of Xanthus or Eryx) *Rhopalus (with unknown woman) *Skythes (with the monster Ekhidna) *Sophax (with Tinge, wife of Antaeus) *Telephus (with Auge sister of Kepheus of King Tegea) *Teles (with Lysidike a daughter of King Thespius) *Teleutagores (with Eurykas a daughter of King Thespius) *Therimakhus (with Herakles' first wife Megara a daughter of King Kreon of Thebes) *Threpsippus (with Panope a daughter of King Thespius) *Thessalus (with Khalciope) *Thestalus (with Epikaste the daughter of Augeus) *Thettalus (with Khalciope daughter of Eurypylus) *Tigasis (with Phyleis a daughter of King Thespius) *Tlepolemus (with with either Astyokhe daughter of Phylas) *Unknown son (with Palantia daughter of Evander) *Unnamed serpent (with Pyrene, daughter of King Bebrykius) Gallery of Herakles in his various adventures ATTIC BLACK-FIGURE SUB-DEIANIRA LEKYTHOS BY THE PHAROS PAINTER.jpg|Herakles shooting Nessos who attempts to abduct Deianeira K18.1Hebe.jpg|The Marriage of Herakles and Hebe N18.2Geras.jpg|Herakles fighting Geras (the god of old age) P28 2Ketos.jpg|Herakles shooting arrows at the Trojan Sea Monster K4 11Hera.jpg|Hera Suckling the Infant Herakles O20.4Akheloios.jpg|Herakles wrestles Akheloios to win the hand of Deianeira P28 1Ketos.jpg|Herakles killing the Trojan Sea Monster with fish hooks Herakles_snake_Musei_Capitolini_MC247.jpg|Infant Herakles strangling a poisonous snake Category:Males Category:Husbands Category:Children of Zeus Category:Gods Category:Immortals Category:Minor Gods Category:Fathers Category:Heroes Category:Diety Category:Deities Category:Twins Category:Twelve Labors Category:Sons of Zeus Category:Argonauts Category:Male Category:Immortal Category:Husband Category:Father Category:The First Labor: Slay the Nemean Lion Category:The Second Labor: Slay the Lernean Hydra